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An eloquent blend of history and memoir, Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we all have to tell our story.

From political propaganda in medieval France to secret treason in Tudor England, from the mothers of the desaparecidos in Argentina to First World War soldiers with PTSD, from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland, Threads of Life is a global chronicle of identity, protest, memory and politics.

Banner-maker, community textile artist and textile curator Clare Hunter chronicles the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances.

‘A beautifully considered book… Clare Hunter has managed to mix the personal with the political with moving results.’ TRACY CHEVALIER

Reviews

Hunter's non-fiction debut reframes needlework as a powerful and political medium . . . Threads of Life is a compelling and beautifully written account of how marginalised peoples throughout history have used the language of sewing, embroidery and textiles to tell their neglected stories.

Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller

Threads of Life is a beautifully considered book that reminds us of how much sewing plays a crucial part in expressing the many facets of our lives. Clare Hunter has managed to mix the personal with the political with moving results. Reading it made me pick up my needle with a new perspective.

Tracy Chevalier

It's an astonishing feat, this patchwork quilt of history, culture and politics, which takes us from Saxon England to colonised African tribes, Palestinian villages, rural China and the cramped homes of American slaves . . . Her highly impressive debut is a richly textured and moving record of a history that has largely being lost.

Christina Patterson, Sunday Times

Triumphant . . . an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought of picking up a needle and thread.

Jane Shilling, Mail on Sunday

Enchanting

S Magazine

Fascinating

Daily Telegraph

Enthralling... By unpicking the seams of the clothes on our backs, Clare Hunter has brought to light elements of history that have languished in our collective attic for far too long. Threads
of Life is a terrific book.

Susan Flockhart, The Herald

A blend of history and memoir, the book roves across centuries and continents to reveal how sewing has played a crucial part in our lives - from courts and battlefields to prisons and drawing rooms... Many of the stories in Threads of Life are heart-breaking...This beautiful, moving book makes you want to rush out and grab a needle.

Liz Hoggard, Radio Times

Enthralling...beautiful... An inspiring and moving sideways look at history.